


Just a Glance

by bemynewobsession



Series: Fitzwells Scenes [2]
Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 08:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15682107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bemynewobsession/pseuds/bemynewobsession
Summary: Isabella and Charlotte's next two encounters





	Just a Glance

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to combine the next two Fitzwells scenes together since the one with Quigley barely counts as one anyway.

Isabella Fitzwilliam sat at a table across from the Beast, the morning after she had gotten down on her knees in front of him to be him for the money that would save her from Lydia Quigley. 

 

“Lost in a game of dice.” She had lied to him to say. Even she knew how it sounded. 500 pounds was by no means the sum of their fortune, but it was still a substantial amount to lose in a simple game of dice. 

 

The door to their dining room opened and in walked Charlotte Wells, the woman she had connected with so suddenly last night it nearly frightened her. She schooled her face to not stare at the woman’s beauty.  

 

“Am I interrupting?” Charlotte asked. Isabella was so delighted to see Charlotte. So delighted for even a brief respite from being alone with her brother. 

 

“Not at all. You must join us.” Her brother wouldn’t like her inviting a harlot to eat at the same table as them, but Isabella found all at once that she didn’t care. Not when it came to Charlotte Wells. 

 

“Oh I couldn’t. I’ve already eaten.” Harcourt spoke up quickly then, nearly not even letting Charlotte finish her sentence. 

 

“She came for silver. Not spice bread.” Isabella grew worried at his tone. Already he was belittling her. He truly did think her completely ignorant. 

 

As her brother went to fetch a bank note, Charlotte walked closer to the table, allowing Isabella a better look at her. 

 

Charlotte did not speak, but she looked her dead in the eye and some unspoken gaze was exchanged. Charlotte was asking her if she was alright. Perhaps Isabella had had an effect on Charlotte the way Charlotte had affected her. 

 

Isabella nodded imperceptibly before looking down at her lap quickly before Harcourt could see the look she and Charlotte were sharing. Isabella picked up her tea to drink it but set it down nervously as her brother moved right into Charlotte’s personal space to hand her the note. 

 

He went to hand it to her but then pulled it away.  _ What was he doing? _

 

Isabella did not have to wait long before he spoke. 

 

“I propose.” He placed the note on the table and pulled it toward him with his hand. “A little game. You tell me where my sister’s money is destined and we shall discover if Isabella has been telling fibs.”

 

_ Fuck.  _ Isabella had not thought Harcourt would be  _ that  _ suspicious of her. She gulped nervously. 

 

“Humor him please Ms. Wells, or he’ll be impossible.”  _ Please just say something vague like an unpaid debt oh please god.  _ Isabella fought to make sure her voice didn’t shake as she spoke.

 

Charlotte looked a bit nervous herself but gave her answer well. 

 

“Very well. The money is to pay a debt.” Harcourt jested in response.

 

“Ah very good very good. What kind?”  _ Son of a bitch he just would not let up!  _

 

Isabella had to think quickly to hint to Charlotte how to tell her what to say. 

 

“He makes the game seem dangerous.” Charlotte glanced at her with thinly veiled nervous eyes. 

 

“I would rather be playing dice.” Isabella could only pray that Charlotte caught her reference and responded to Harcourt appropriately. 

 

Charlotte laughed a little to keep up the pretense. 

 

“Surely not Hazard. Not when you already have this debt to pay.”  _ Thank God.  _ Charlotte was definitely as strong-witted as Isabella had suspected. 

 

“So that’s your answer then. Hazard?” Isabella noted that Charlotte did not back down or waver from looking Harcourt dead in the eye in her perfect lie. 

 

“It is.” Harcourt finally seemed satisfied with that answer yet he still had more to say. 

 

“What a pair of pixies you are!” 

 

Isabella had more to say as well. “He finds it hard to believe that I lose so often.” The Beast began to rear its jealous head. Harcourt was near her now. Touching her in the possessive way he always did when he felt the slightest bit threatened.

 

Years of receiving this unwanted touching had taught her to not react but she couldn’t help the small flit of discomfort that came across her face at his hands on her body. 

 

Charlotte scoffed softly. “He has not seen me play.” Charlotte met Isabella’s eyes in a playful gaze and Isabella felt comforted for a moment that another woman was in the room, especially one with such kind eyes as Charlotte Wells.

 

As Harcourt droned on for a moment about Isabella’s luck with dice, Isabella saw that Charlotte watched him touch her with intrigued eyes. All at once she felt horrid. Charlotte shouldn’t have to witness such vileness. Harcourt finally moved on from touching her.

 

Charlotte locked eyes with her and spoke softly, as though they were the only two in the room. “I hope you can forgive this imposition.” Isabella knew she was speaking of forcing Isabella to deal with her brother, not just her arrival at their breakfast table. 

 

“Of course.” Isabella granted her a small smile. 

 

And with that, Charlotte walked away. Isabella was overcome with a latent urge to follow her, to run away from her brother and this life, but the thought was fleeting and faded away as Harcourt sat down again across from her.

 

The next time she saw Charlotte was midday. Unfortunately, she was accompanied by the She-Devil Lydia Quigley. The instant she saw the both of them she closed the doors behind her to guarantee some shred of privacy. 

 

She looked to Charlotte briefly in what she hoped was apology and then addressed Lydia directly. 

 

“What are you doing here Ms. Quigley?” She spat it with as much vitriol as she could muster against a woman who held so much against her. 

 

“I wanted to thank you.” Isabella walked closer to the two other women, being sure to step closer to Charlotte as she could. 

 

She couldn’t keep her eyes away from flitting to Charlotte’s visage as she addressed Quigley again. 

 

“Not seeing you again will be all the thanks that I need.” She accompanied her words with a spiteful smile. She drew her eyes again to Charlotte who was now locked eyes with her as well. Why could she not stop looking at the girl? 

 

“If it were only that simple.” Quigley said in a voice alluding to needing something more. Charlotte looked away at that remark and an almost angry look came across her face. 

 

Charlotte stood several feet away as Quigley stepped closer and threatened Isabella and asked for “more resources” to keep Isabella’s secrets for her. 

 

Isabella immediately grew angry with the request Quigley dare ask. “I could have had your tongue cut out for less money than I have paid you.” She spoke with a barely contained rage.

 

Quigley went on to explain how she “simply” wanted introductions to the people of influence Isabella knew. This She-Devil was truly going to ruin her life in every way. Take all of her money and now all of her friends and stature?

 

As Isabella tried to deter her one last time with “They would simply not accept you.” Quigley grasped her arm firmly and delivered her final words. 

 

“Persuade them.”

 

Isabella stormed out angrily, but knew she had no choice but to do as Lydia had asked. 

 

She went to her room and sat at her desk, furious at what the woman was asking of her. She calmed herself by thinking of how at least out of the interaction, she had gotten to see Charlotte Wells again. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Follow me at artemisodinson.tumblr.com


End file.
